Cutter chain



Dec. 31, 1946. E. SIMMONS ETAL 4 8 CUTTER CHAIN Filed Aug. 18, 1943 1/ lazventors lieonEJ-Qknmond.

a HarryEVandayee.

A... '4' 141mmazt Patented Dec. 31, 1946 uNi1rEi o';sTAr;-Es PATENT ewe:

Leo .Ehs' mm nz ffizffl andHa yH- Vandc z M chigan Cit 11 1,, a si n rs t Jo Manu acturin Co pany a orpo a o of Pennsylvania applicati n ali ns -18, ins-seams. 499.09

4Qlaim5- This invention relates to cutter chains and more '.particularly -.to .an improved rnining nachine .cutter .chain wespeciallydesigned for vvuse in the cutting of coalorthe like.

An object .of the present invention is to provide an improved cutter chain. Another object is to provide an improved socket arrangement ror achain block of a cutter .chainwhereby cutter bits of different typesmay'be positioned andheld in .the vblocksockets. .A further object is to provide van improved chain .block designed inter.- changeably to receive a .detachable holder for a small plural pointed reversible cutter .bit or th shank'of a standard single pointed shanked bit. yet another object is to provide an improved bit socket arrangement adapted to receive portions .ofcutterbits of different widths while providing .a'dequate support .for the same. A still further objectis to provide an improved chain block socket shaped .to receive interchangeably the in.- active cutting portion .of a small plural pointed reversible cutter bit or the shank of .a standard single pointed cutterbit, and having projections which serve properly to position the standard bit shank. .Still another object is to provide .an improved chain block socket having relatively large "flow passages for dirt andicuttings thereby to reduce the possibility of clogging and sticking of the parts received in the socket. T Other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing there ,is shown for purposesof illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

In this drawing:

' Fig. 1 is a side .elevational view, with ;parts broken .away in section, of a fportionof a cutter chain constructed in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 15 a cross sectional view taken substan.- tially on line 22 of Fig. 1, looking toward the frontof the chain block.

Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal vertical section taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 4.4 of Fig. 3. I

F an n a e c ss s ctiona view, show: ing the improved block socket;

F 6 a pe spective View of a small plural pointed reversible cutter bit.

Fig. 7 i a side elevational .view of the cutter bit holder.

Fig. .8 is atop plan view of the ;bit holder.

Fig. 9 .isa view in longitudinal vertical section, similar to Fig. 3, showing a standard. singlepointed shanked cutter bit in the block socket.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line |lll of Fig. 9.

In this illustrative embodiment of the invention there is shown a cutter chain generally of conventional design comprising chain blocks vI which are pivotally connectedat .2 to strap ,links 3. These strap links have usual .gibs 4 adapted for reception ;in the guideway of a .conventional cutter ,bar. Each chain block has a lateral lug .5 in which the improved socket generally -desig..- nated .6, is formed. This socket extends through theblock lug at right angles to the path-of t avel of the cutterchain and extending longitudinally of the lug and opening into this socket are lusual threaded bores '8 adapted selectively to receive a conventional set screw 8. Evidently, the improved socket arrangement may be embodied in cutter chains of types other than that disclosed.

The improvedchain block socket 6 is adapted interchangeably to receive a holder .9 for a small plural pointed reversible cutterbit H) or a shank .IA .of .a standard single pointed shanked .bit 12. As clearly shown in Fig. 5, the block socket is generally rectangular in shape in cross section andhas parallel plane vfront and rear end walls l3 and 1.4 and is centrally laterally enlarged at 15. 'Ihesocket enlargement has curved side walls [5,16 which terminate at projections H,.eXtend ing inwardly from the parallel vertical side walls 18, lfiof the socket. This arrangement provides enlarged end recesses J9 between the projections llandend-so-cket wallsateach end of the socket. Theiprojections .l]. have parallel plane .inner sur faces 20. This socket may be formed in various manners but is herein preferably formed by .d filling and broaching operations of well-known types. The threaded bores .I extend longitudinallythrough the parallel end walls 13, ,Hlof the socket so that the set screw received in .one .of the bores may be adjusted to enter at its inner end the socket.

The cutter bit has .a-body generally T-shaped incross section and provided with relatively 1nolined cutting portions having front cut-ting faces 2|, 2| lying in the sides of an obtuse an le and terminating in cutting points 22 at the opposite extremities of the bit. The bit holder 9 has a shank .23 generally rectangular in shape incross section and is vertically slotted at 24 at its forward sideto receive the rear flange 25 of the T- shaped bit body. The forward surfaces 26 of the bit holder at the opposite sides of the vertical slot 724 engage the rear surfaces of the lateral flanges 2] provided by the head of the T. As shown in Fig. 3, the "bottom wall 28 of the holder slot is shaped to conform to the curved rearsurface 29 of the flange 25 of the bit body. When the holder shank is inserted in bit holding position in thelblOCk socket as shown in Fig. 3, the rear surface of the holder shank engages the rear socket wall l4 and the head 30 of the holder rests at 31 against the outer surface .of the chain lblock lug. When the cutter ,bit is positioned as shown in Fig. 3, its active cutting por- 3 tion projects forwardly and outwardly with respect to the chain block and its inactive cutting portion lies'. inwardly within the block socket.

Since the lateral flanges 21 of the cutter bit project outwardly to provide a front cutting face of a width substantially wider than the Width of the shank I I of a standard single pointed bit, the end socket enlargement I9 is provided, and the side flanges of the inactive cutting portion of the bit are received in this enlarged recess in the manner shown in Fig. 4. When the parts are so positioned, the set screw 8 is adjusted into a position wherein its inner end engages the front face of the inactive cutting portion of the bit to clamp the bit flanges 21 tightly against the front surace of the holder. Thus the bit and holder are held firmly in position on the block.

' Upon removal of the cutter bit and. holder, shown in Fig. 3, from the block socket, the shank II of a standard single pointed reversible bit I2 may be inserted in the socket in the manner shown in Fig. 9. The rear surface of the bit shank I I abuts the rear end wall I4 of the socket and the set screw 8, when tightened, engages the front surface of the bit shank to secure firmly the cutter bit in cutting position on the block. Since the shank of the standard single pointed bit is of less width than the width of the cutting face of a small plural pointed reversible cutter bit, the projections I! are provided to engage the sides of the bit shank II in the manner shown in Fig. so that any substantial looseness of the shank in the socket is prevented.

Regardless of whether the small plural pointed reversible cutter bit or the shank of the standard single pointed bit is positioned in the block socket, the parts may be reversed on the block so that the chain may operate as a reversible chain. Upon such reversal of the parts, the set screw 8 is removed from its threaded bore in the block lug and is inserted in the other threaded bore. The reversal of the parts shown in Fig. 3 is effected simply by loosening the set screw, removing the bit and holder from the block socket, turning the bit and holder completely around, and reinserting them into the block socket. The reversed set screw is then tightened to clamp the bit and holder firml in position. The standard single pointed shanked bit shown in Fig. 9 may be rer versed simply by loosening the set screw, withdrawing the bit shank from the socket, turning the bit completely around, and reinserting the bit shank into the socket. The reversed set screw is then tightened to clamp the bit shank firmly in position.

As a result of this invention, simply by the reshaping of the chain block socket it is possible to position different types of cutter bits on the chain block. By the provision of the novel socket shape having an end enlargement and side projections, it is possible interchangeably to position the holder of a small plural pointed reversible cutter bit or the shank of a standardsingle pointed cutter bit in the chain block socket. The socket arrangement is relatively simple so that the socket of a standard chain'block may be easily modified to receive either the detachable cutter bit holder or the standard shanked bit. Other advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of 11- lustration, and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cutter chain, a support having a socket provided with a relatively wide portion and a communicating relatively narrow portion having inner lateral surfaces spaced longitudinally of said support with respect to said wide portion, a cutter bit having a relatively wide cutting portion received in said wide portion of said socket, and a detachable holder engaging said bit for holding the latter in cutting position on said support with said relatively wide portion in said socket, and having a relatively narrow portion received in said narrow portion of said socket with the inner lateral surfaces of the latter engaging the outermost lateral surfaces of said narrow holder portion.

2. In a cutter chain, a support having a socket provided with a relatively wide front portion and a relatively narrow portion located rearwardly of said front portion and having inner lateral surfaces, a cutter bit provided with a relatively wide front cutting portion and a relatively narrow rearward portion, said wide bit portion received in said wide portion of said socket and said narrow rearward bit portion projecting into said narrow socket portion, and a detachable holder for holding said bit in cutting position on said support and having a socket for receiving said narrow rearward portion of said bit, and having a shank fitting said narrow portion of said support socket with the inner lateral surfaces of the latter engaging with the outermost lateral surfaces of said holder shank.

3. In a cutter chain, a support having a socket provided with a relatively wide portion and a communicating relatively narrow portion having lateral surfaces spaced inwardly from the sides of said wide portion, said narrow portion being spaced longitudinally of said support with respect to said wide portion, a cutter bit having a relatively wide cutting portion received in said wide socket portion, and a detachable holder engaging said bit for holding the latter in cutting position on said support, said holder engaging said bit rearwardly of said Wide cutting portion and having a relatively narrow portion received in said narrow socket portion with the inner lateral surfaces of the latter engaging the outermost lateral surfaces of said narrow holder portion.

I. In a cutter chain, a support having a socket provided with a relatively wide front portion and a relatively narrow portion located rearwardly of said front portion and having lateral surfaces spaced inwardly from the sides of said front portion, a cutter bit having a front cuttin ortion received in said wide socket portion, said bit projecting rearwardly into said narrow socket portion, and a. detachable holder for holding said bit in cutting position on said support and engaging and positioning said rearwardly projecting portion of said bit, and having a shank received in said narrow socket portion with the inner lateral surfaces of the latter engaging the outermost lateral surfaces of said holder shank.

LEON E. SIMMONS. HARRY H.,VANDERZEE'. 

